The Madras High Court has directed the Environment Secretary and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to look into a litigant’s allegation of a biomedical waste disposal unit at Kinar Kandigai village in Kancheepuram district having obtained permission for functioning on an agricultural land without disclosing the nature of classification of the property in revenue records.
Justices S. Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad granted liberty to P. Sundar Raj, who had filed a public interest litigation petition against the unit, to submit a detailed representation to the officials, listing out his other allegations such as the unit being situated close to River Uppar and continuing to function with the help of generators despite disconnection of electricity.
Inspection allowed
The judges made it clear that the officials could also undertake an inspection of the unit, if required, before taking a call on the litigant’s representation.
The court took note of the fact that the District Environmental Engineer had already recommended disconnection of power to the unit after functional defects were noticed at the unit.